Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
David Horowitz – Spicer&Co
Law-and-Order African Americans Stand With Trump
President Trump is standing with the 72% of African-Americans who are happy with their local police departments.
June 9, 2020
Daniel Greenfield
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/06/law-and-order-african-americans-stand-trump-daniel-greenfield
Leftists have launched yet another campaign to destroy President Trump, the economy, and the hopes of the African-American community which had been seeing record employment numbers.
If you believe the media, African-Americans are rising up against President Trump because of a police incident in Minneapolis, a Democrat city, run by radical lefties who voted to disband the police, in Minnesota, a Democrat state, which had not voted for a Republican since Nixon, over 1,000 miles away from Washington D.C. And, if you believe the media, the economy is doomed, and every state that opened before the riots has streets filled with piles of the pandemic dead.
The latest Rasmussen tracking poll shows that President Trump’s approval rating among likely black voters is at 41%.That’s up from 40% in the fall of 2018 which had been a high at the time.
How is that possible? Aren’t black people furious after Trump’s call for law and order?
A Monmouth University poll however shows that 72% of African-Americans are satisfied with their local police departments. Despite what you’re seeing on television, 21% of African-Americans are very satisfied with the local police and another 51% are satisfied.
Only 5% are very dissatisfied.
Why Does Twitter Continue Allowing Social Justice Doxing on its Platform?
June 9, 2020
Daniel Greenfield
On paper, the virtual kind, and, presumably, the physical kind on file in some legal office, Twitter bans doxing. In reality, it’s prevalent on the platform and, in this case, even trended as social justice mobs sought a white guy they’d seen in a video and settled for any white guy.
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/06/why-does-twitter-continue-allowing-social-justice-daniel-greenfield
Antifa: A Relic of German Communism
On a mission to destroy the United States.
June 9, 2020
Joseph Hippolito
When Antifa first invaded the national consciousness, during the 2017 riots in Charlottesville, Va., two prominent journalists made a stunning assertion.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo joined others in equating the left-wing militants with the thousands of Allied soldiers who stormed Normandy’s beaches to invade Adolf Hitler’s “Fortress Europe” on D-Day.
A more appropriate equation would be with the thousands of soldiers in the Red Army, who brutally marched toward Berlin, where they would establish Soviet hegemony in the so-called German Democratic Republic after defeating Hitler.
Despite antiseptic portrayals throughout American media, Antifa is much more than an “anti-Fascist” group. As Americans have seen since the death of George Floyd, Antifa provides the violent complement to “Progressive” ideology. Like its comrades in academia and the media, Antifa seeks to destroy the American emphasis on liberty under law, and to impose one of history’s most repressive ideologies.
Bernd Langer, whose “80 Years of Anti-Fascist Action” was published by Germany’s Association for the Promotion of Anti-Fascist Literature, succinctly defined the rhetorical subterfuge.
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/06/antifa-relic-german-communism-joseph-hippolito
Yoel Roth Explains It All For You
Unmasking Twitter’s “Head of Site Integrity,” the man who fact-checked President Trump.
June 9, 2020
Lloyd Billingsley
President Trump recently tweeted about the dangers of mail-in ballots and voter fraud, particularly in California. Twitter attached an alert claiming the tweets were “potentially misleading” and directed users to allegedly corrective website. The president pushed back, but with a pandemic and insurrection going on, the conflict failed to get the attention it deserved.
Twitter did not reveal who, exactly, was charging the president with potentially misleading information. It soon emerged that the culprit was Twitter’s own “Head of Site Integrity” Yoel Roth, an avid tweeter his own self.
In 2017, for example, Roth referred to Trump staffers as “ACTUAL NAZIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE” and the content cop wasn’t done. When Kellyanne Conway goes on television, Roth tweeted, “we’re speaking with Joseph Goebbels about the first 100 days.” As Eric Idle once quipped, “I hate people who vent their loquacity with extraneous bombastic circumlocution.” On the other hand, the man is a deep thinker.
As Roth reflected in another tweet, “How does a personality-free bag of farts like Mitch McConnell actually win elections?” On that theme Roth does not hesitate to weigh in. Back in 2016, for example, he tweeted, “I’ve never donated to a presidential campaign before, but I just gave $100 to Hillary for America. We can’t f–k around anymore.” As Olson Johnson said of Gabby Johnson’s speech in Blazing Saddles, “who can argue with that?” And as fellow tweeters might wonder, who is this powerful prose stylist?
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/06/yoel-roth-explains-it-all-you-lloyd-billingsley
Islam in Focus: Raymond Ibrahim Discusses Constantinople’s 1453 Fall
Shillman Fellow reflects on the infamous events of May 29.
On May 29, the anniversary of the Islamic conquest of Constantinople, Raymond Ibrahim, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, was interviewed on Global Patriot Radio about that event’s significance. The hour-long interview can be listened to here.
For Ibrahim’s May 29 article summarizing the Fall of Constantinople, see below:
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/06/islam-focus-raymond-ibrahim-discusses-frontpagemagcom
Cognitive Dissonance in Post-Obama America
The failure of political fantasy creates a destructive reality.
Nearly 12 years have elapsed since the night in October 2008 when Barack Obama told a crowd of his supporters in a speech at the University of Missouri that they were “five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” You can turn on your TV and see the result: Race riots have devastated cities across the country, a disillusioned generation of youth expressing themselves in a criminal spree of violent rage inspired by the failure of Obama’s promise. Of course, liberals blame these “mostly peaceful protests” on President Trump, but let them ponder this question: How could Trump ever have been elected if Obama had been successful in delivering the transformation he promised?
No liberal wants to admit that there are limits to what can be achieved by government intervention. Liberalism is, among other things, a quasi-religious belief in the power of government to change society for the better. Whatever the problem may be, the liberal “solution” is always more government — more legislation to create more programs and more spending to hire more bureaucrats. The most obvious objection to this agenda, if we may borrow the late Margaret Thatcher’s famous phrase, is that you eventually run out of other people’s money. Our national debt is now more than $25 trillion — that’s trillion, with a “t,” $25,000,000,000,000 — and deficit spending means that the federal government keeps running up the bill with no plan whatsoever to reduce this staggering debt.
No matter how much Obama was willing to spend on “fundamentally transforming” the country, however, he could never satisfy the unrealistic hopes of his most ardent young supporters. In that October 2008 speech in Missouri, he promised them “policies that invest
https://spectator.org/cognitive-dissonance-in-post-obama-america/
The Systemic Racism of the American Left
Democrats: a political party born and still living in a culture of dividing by race.
It is one of the most deliberately ignored — if most basic — facts of American history.
The Democrats literally began as the Party of Slavery. It fought relentlessly, as historian Bruce Bartlett has detailed in his book Wrong On Race: The Democratic Party’s Buried Past, “to save and protect that institution right down to the Civil War.”
Thomas Jefferson was the founder of what became the Democratic Party. A slave owner himself, he rested the party’s political power on support from fellow slave owners. As historian Garry Wills from Northwestern University noted in his book on Jefferson’s reliance on the political power of slave owners, “Negro President”: Jefferson and the Slave Power, “Like all other southerners, Jefferson had to take every political step he could to prevent challenges to the slave system.”
Historians, not to mention the Democratic Party itself, credit Andrew Jackson as being the co-founder of the Democrats. This is why the party fundraisers for well over a century have been titled “Jefferson–Jackson Day” dinners.
https://spectator.org/the-systemic-racism-of-the-american-left/
Minneapolis Manufacturing Company Burned in George Floyd Riots Will Leave City, Owner Says
By Cristina Laila
Published June 8, 2020 at 5:44pm
627 Comments
Share on Facebook(1.9k
This is just the beginning.
The owner of a Minneapolis-based manufacturing plant decided to move his company after rioters burned his business down.
Kris Wyrobek, president and owner of 7-Sigma said he can’t trust public officials who allowed his plant to burn during the George Floyd riots.
“They don’t care about my business. They didn’t protect our people. We were all on our own,” Wyrobek told the Star Tribune. “The fire engine was just sitting there, but they wouldn’t do anything. That’s the frustrating thing to us.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/minneapolis-manufacturing-company-burned-george-floyd-riots-will-leave-city-owner-says/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Chicago Mayor Now Pleading With Walmart And Other Companies Not To Leave The City
By Mike LaChance
Published June 9, 2020 at 12:33am
1749 Comments
Share on Facebook(3.
After the recent riots which saw multiple large stores looted, some retailers are having second thoughts about remaining in certain cities.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been talking to these retailers and asking them not to leave the city.
Not only do these companies make it possible for residents to get the things they need, they pay tons of taxes which the city relies on.
WBBM News reports:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/chicago-mayor-now-pleading-walmart-companies-not-leave-city/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
“I Think You’re 100% Full of Sh**!” – Mayor Lori Lightfoot Berates Chicago Alderman in Expletive-Filled Rant After He Calls her Out on her Failed Riot Response
Far left Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th) were caught in an angry and foul-mouthed argument over the city’s handling of the widespread violence during last week’s riots and looting.
During a conference call with all 50 Chicago Alderman Alderman Lopez accused the far left mayor of allowing looters to ransack his community.
The expletive-filled exchange was handed over to CBS Chicago.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/think-100-full-sh-mayor-lori-lightfoot-berates-chicago-alderman-expletive-filled-rant-calls-failed-riot-response/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
“There is a 50 minute audio embedded in this article of a Chicago City Council meeting with Mayor Lori Lightfoot. If you want to see why Democrat cities are a catastrophe, listen to all of it. A stunning and utterly disheartening failure of leadership.”
James Wood – June 9, 2020 – Twitter
https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1270404275131215874
“‘What Are We Going To Have Left In Our Community?’ Aldermen React with Panic, Sorrow to Unrest” – Podcast
Heather Cherone | Paris Schutz – June 5, 2020
https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/05/what-are-we-going-have-left-our-community-aldermen-react-panic-sorrow-unrest
600 Cops Could Be Leaving NYPD Due to Violent George Floyd Riots
New Yorkers who have felt the wrath of angry mobs amid nationwide civil unrest over the death of George Floyd could soon feel the strain of fewer police officers patrolling their streets.
According to people with intimate knowledge of the law enforcement situation in the five boroughs, there could soon be a mass exodus of officers from the New York City Police Department, as city officials have chosen to side against them while the officers try to restore law and order.
https://www.westernjournal.com/600-cops-leaving-nypd-due-violent-george-floyd-riots/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=patriots-list-newsletter&utm_campaign=can&utm_content=firefly
My neighbor’s daughter just found a house to rent so she can leave Manhattan! No jooo-hating de Blasio, no hamstrung NYPD.
Rents have gone WAY up in the suburbs, but the public school system there is good enough forgo the expense of private. Work from home cuts babysitter expense; commuting to the city shouldn’t be a big deal. Once they buy a car.
A lot of people are doing that, the Dems in the big cities are cutting their own throats by driving away the people and businesses that pay the Taxes that the left love. This is why the Dems are now screaming for the rest of us to bail out their cities for the vast amount of overspending the Dems love.
They figure there’ll be a Covid-23, -25, etc.
Apt walls closing in, kiddos can’t play anywhere in that jooo-hating Mayor’s territory.
He has cops who target a couple 6-yr-old brothers in kippa in the park with Mum.
Hybrid Warfare — Russia Sends Warplanes to Back Wagner Group ‘Mercenaries’ in Libya
In its latest “great power” play in North Africa, the U.S. Pentagon’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) says Russia has sent at least 14 jet combat aircraft, including MiG-29 Fulcrums, and Su-24 Fencers to oil-rich Libya in past week. As reported by Global Security, AFRICOM believes these aircraft – flown by Russian pilots – will support Russia’s Wagner Group ‘mercenaries’ on behalf of strongman Khalifa Haftar against Libya’s U.N.-recognized government.
As I wrote earlier, a UN report in early May confirmed the Wagner Group’s presence in Libya, noting they were acting as artillery and air observers, as well as “providing electronic countermeasures expertise and deploying as sniper teams”. The UN report also included details such as the deployment of snipers and other specialized combat units.
Moscow steadfastly denies it uses private military contractors (PMCs) in conflicts abroad, claiming these mercenary groups do not represent the Russian government. However, most observers understand Wagner is an instrument of Russian military intelligence (GRU) and the Ministry of Defense.
https://americanactionnews.com/foreign-affairs/hybrid-warfare-russia-sends-warplanes-to-back-wagner-group-mercenaries-in-libya-rs-pc/
And the UAE is footing the bill.
Uncle Vlad is parsimonious.
Getting other people to pay for your empire building takes a lot of smarts, and people who are so scared they don’t look closely at the fine print of the agreements they are making.
EXCLUSIVE: Donations, Including International Funding, to BlackLivesMatter.com Go Directly to the DNC – This Is Money Laundering
BlackLivesMatter.com appears to be an international money laundering scheme used by the Democrats to raise money from an international audience.
So we know for sure that BLM is a “global” / “international” network because they admit this.
When you click on the “Donate” button on blacklivesmatter.com you are sent to an “ActBlue” donations page:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/exclusive-donations-including-international-funding-blacklivesmatter-com-go-directly-dnc-money-laundering/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
This 2017 Video Explains How Black Lives Matter is Being Used by the Elite (video)
REally important – watch the ending: Antifa chanting: George Soros, where’s our money
https://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/former-black-lives-matter-organizer-explains-how-the-movement-is-being-used-by-the-elite-video/
Andy Ngô
@MrAndyNgo
Seattle @MayorJenny
is allowing a dangerous situation to fester. #Antifa militants have taken over & created an “autonomous zone” in city w/their own rules. Police precinct abandoned. Antifa set up barricades to create a border. Calling for volunteers to provide armed guard.
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1270375353614123010
Note: well written
If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would believe that no one on the Left thought Trump had a prayer against the Hillary juggernaut, so they paid him no mind. But the more he spoke, the more worried they became, so they declared he would not accept the inevitable Hillary win. Why take chances? Just seed some doubt.
If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would believe the closer the race became, and the more worried Obama, Hillary and company became, they began to spy on Trump associates and develop contingency plans. As they planned the coronation party for Hillary, as polls indicated an easy win, that nagging doubt unsettled them.
https://creativedestructionmedia.com/opinion/2020/06/05/if-i-were-a-conspiracy-theorist/
My commentary on the link:
The left is eating their own: a top TV host on CBC, during a meeting at work, reads a quote – as a quote – that includes the N word. Not directed at anyone, just part of a quote related to the story they are working on.
Immediately grovels.
Gets suspended anyway.
https://www.canadalandshow.com/wendy-mesley-suspended-from-the-weekly/
There’s More to the Story of the ‘Elderly’ Protester Knocked Down by Buffalo Police Than You’re Being Told
…
On June 4, protesters were gathered in Niagara Square, a public plaza at the center of Buffalo’s government district. When they lingered beyond 8 p.m., Deputy Chief Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia ordered police to enforce the curfew and clear the area. Officers from the Buffalo Police Department and the New York State Police assembled in a skirmish line and began walking north in front of City Hall.
In a now widely seen video, shot by WFBO radio reporter Mike Desmond, Gugino can be seen walking directly toward the officers and stopping in the path of one of them. Note that Gugino is carrying (alas for him, not wearing) a helmet, suggesting he was a veteran protester and prepared for a confrontation.
…
https://pjmedia.com/columns/jack-dunphy/2020/06/08/theres-more-to-the-story-of-the-elderly-protester-knocked-down-by-buffalo-police-than-youre-being-told-n508740
NPR tweet about Trump rallies perfectly illustrates coronavirus double standard for protests
https://www.theblaze.com/news/npr-tweet-coronavirus-double-standard
White people are pouring out their hearts – and sending money – to their black friends
“I felt like a charity case,” said Gillian, a recent college graduate who said she had never expressed any financial need. “I know that she didn’t mean it in the way I took it. But I couldn’t help but take it that way. I think she was just trying to do something that made her feel good. I don’t think it had anything to do with me.”
https://www.boston.com/news/national-news-2/2020/06/07/white-people-are-pouring-out-their-hearts-and-sending-money-to-their-black-friends
Rally held for elderly Fall River man assaulted while holding Trump sign
“Nobody should be in fear to be beaten up simply for holding a sign. God bless you, Charlie.”
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Christopher Gavin, Boston.com Staff
June 8, 2020
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Police: 82-year-old Fall River man holding Trump sign assaulted
An 82-year-old Fall River man who was assaulted last week while holding a President Trump campaign sign got the backing of dozens Saturday, who rallied in an outpouring of support for the military veteran.
Charlie Chase was attacked June 2 at a rotary off of North Main Street when 27-year-old Aidan Courtright, of Fall River, allegedly stopped his vehicle and pushed Chase to the ground, assaulted him, and tore up the sign, The Herald News reports.
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/06/08/rally-elderly-fall-river-man-assaulted-holding-trump-sign
“We have no compassion and we ask no compassion from you. When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror. [from Suppression of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung]”
? Karl Marx
Read more quotes from Karl Marx
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8698376-we-have-no-compassion-and-we-ask-no-compassion-from
A Complete List Of Companies Supporting ANTIFA & Black Lives Matter – Just In Case You Want To Know Who Wants You Dead & Overturn The Culture
https://sonsoflibertymedia.com/a-complete-list-of-companies-supporting-antifa-black-lives-matter-just-in-case-you-want-to-know-who-wants-you-dead-overturn-the-culture/
China and corporate global.
Good to have the list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya
“proteksiya”
“protection”
business is business
Internal NYPD alert warns of concrete disguised as ‘ice cream’ at NYC protests
An internal NYPD alert warned officers of containers of hardened concrete resembling “chocolate chip ice cream” found near the scene of a recent George Floyd protest in Lower Manhattan.
Three containers of the alleged hard serve — poured into what appear to be to-go coffee and soup cups and flecked with darker-colored spots — were found sitting on a window ledge near the Worth Street entrance to Manhattan Supreme Court on June 3, according to the memo obtained by The Post.
“The Cups were filled with cement and made to look like CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM,” the alert read in part.
The containers were discovered following one of the several area protests demanding justice for Floyd, a black man killed May 25 when a white Minneapolis cop kneeled on his neck.
The cups, which have markings on the outside, also resemble concrete sample tests commonly used on construction sites.
There were no immediate reports of the improvised weapons being used against cops, but the NYPD was nevertheless ordered to be on guard for them.
While the protests have been largely peaceful, looters and anarchists have at times used them as cover to steal, vandalize and assault the police, officials have said.
The department has also warned of concrete-filled tennis balls and water bottles, and Commissioner Dermot Shea has said — without providing evidence — that looters are strategically stashing bricks prior to protests.
https://nypost.com/2020/06/08/nypd-finds-concrete-covered-as-ice-cream-at-george-floyd-protests/
======================================================
NYPD warns cops to watch out for concrete-filled tennis balls during protests
The NYPD are being pelted with concrete-filled tennis balls during George Floyd protests, the NYPD warned its members Sunday.
The two unidentified officers, who were following protestors Thursday after a demonstration in Union Square, were at the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 25th Street when they were pummeled with the rock-hard balls, according to an advisory obtained by The Post.
“One of the two officers was hospitalized with a contusion (bruise) to left shoulder,” it said. “Please be cognizant of all objects in persons’ hands or lying on the ground during these protests.”
“Stay safe, stay protected, and covered.”
At last one concrete-filled tennis ball has been recovered, a police source said.
Police said 292 cops have been hurt during demonstrations that have wracked the city since the May 25 death of Floyd while being pinned down by Minneapolis police.
Cops have also been the targets of attempted Molotov cocktail attacks.
In one case, a Princeton-educated attorney was among two lawyers charged with hurling the incendiary device at an empty NYPD squad car outside the 88th Precinct stationhouse in Fort Greene. In another, an upstate woman was charged with throwing a Molotov cocktail at four police officers inside a car on Eastern Parkway, but it did not ignite.
https://nypost.com/2020/06/07/cops-need-to-lookout-for-concrete-filled-tennis-balls-nypd-says/
Iran Slams Europe for Failing to Honor JCPOA Commitments
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/06/09/2282674/iran-slams-europe-for-failing-to-honor-jcpoa-commitments
“Senior adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker for international affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian strongly criticized the failure of the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers to fulfill their commitments under the agreement…”
UN Chief Urges Global Fight against Racism
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2325796/un-chief-urges-global-fight-against-racism
“United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged on Tuesday a global fight against racism and discrimination following the “murderous act of police brutality” against George Floyd that has led to widespread protests in the United States and cities around the world.
In a letter to staff, Guterres said “the position of the United Nations on racism is crystal clear: this scourge violates the United Nations Charter and debases our core values.”
He added “the primacy of reason, tolerance, mutual respect” in the world is now being called “dramatically” into question by nationalism, irrationality, populism, xenophobia, racism, white supremacism, and different forms of Neo-Nazism.
He stressed a central problem is not only police brutality but “the difficulty of many authorities to deal with diversity,” starting with so-called profiling.
He called for all police forces to be fully trained on human rights, adding that “many times police brutality is the expression of the frustrations of the police officers themselves, as well as of the lack of adequate psycho-social support to them.””
Algeria Urges Int’l Cooperation against Terrorism after Killing of AQIM Chief
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2325776/algeria-urges-int%E2%80%99l-cooperation-against-terrorism-after-killing-aqim-chief
“Algerian Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Tuesday for international cooperation against “terrorism”, in the country’s first official response to French forces’ killing of the leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced Friday that Algerian Abdelmalek Droukdel and several close associates had been killed by French forces in northwestern Mali, near the Algerian border.
Reacting Tuesday, Tebboune said his country believes “terrorism has an international dimension and the fight against (it) is the responsibility of the international community”.
Droukdel’s killing “is in this context”, he said.
Despite keeping a low profile, Droukdel was one of the Maghreb region’s most powerful extremists, commanding several groups under the banner of AQIM.
He was active for decades in Algeria, particularly during the country’s 1992-2002 conflict between Islamists and the state, in which some 200,000 people died.
AQIM emerged from a group founded in the late 1990s by radical Algerian extremists, who in 2007 pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda.
It in the Maghreb and the Sahel, a vast band of territory along the south of the Sahara desert, where it has claimed numerous deadly attacks.
The semi-desert region has been plagued by extremists since militants seized control of Mali’s north in 2012.
AQIM is on a US list of “terrorist” organizations, and US Africa Command said it had provided intelligence that had helped track Droukdel down.
Analyst Akram Kharief, head of the regional defense and security website menadefense.net, said Droukdel’s death could accentuate rivalries among extremist factions.
“His disappearance is important because it marks the end of Algerian domination” of extremist groups in the Sahel, Kharief said, according to AFP.
Droukdel is likely to be replaced by a northern Algerian with “few ties and therefore little control” over groups in the south, he said.”
That’s quite a coup.
AQIM is one of the most accomplished terrorist affiliates of al-Qaeda.
Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect
The inside story of the privileged student who embraced al-Qa’ida and tried to blow a transatlantic jet out of the sky – and the lessons for us all
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wealthy-quiet-unassuming-the-christmas-day-bomb-suspect-1851090.html
Tunisian Party Calls For Designating Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2324911/tunisian-party-calls-designating-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-organization
“Tunisia’s Free Constitutional Party bloc announced Monday its decision to submit a new draft resolution to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a “terrorist organization” and a movement deemed “hostile to the civil state”.
The Muslim Brotherhood should be designated as a terrorist organization in Tunisia, a petition submitted to the Tunisian Parliament by head of the Tunisian opposition figure and President of the Free Destourian Party (PDL) Abir Moussi said on Monday.
In a press conference, Moussi explained that the new draft resolution calls on the government to formally “classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization that is hostile to the civil state” and push the state to “consider any Tunisian person or entity that has connections to this organization as being guilty of a terrorist crime according to the law on terrorism.”
“Today we want a clear political position. Political parties and politicians who want to openly dissociate themselves from the Muslim Brotherhood organization must prove so and vote in favor of this draft motion,” Moussi said.
“Some political entities and civil society groups in Tunisia have leaders and members who belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and receive funding from the organization,” the PDL leader said, adding that such a situation is “inconceivable” as it is a “threat to national sovereignty.”
Ennahda and its leaders have in the past denied affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood organization and reiterated their denunciation of terrorism.
But Ennahda’s critics and rivals, including the PDL, have highlighted the ideological and historical links of Ennahda with the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist affiliations and criticized its links to Brotherhood-aligned governments in Ankara, Doha and Tripoli as being detrimental to the national interest.
On June 3., Tunisia’s Free Constitutional Party submitted a bill to the parliament to express rejection to any foreign military intervention in Libya, especially the Turkish intervention. Yet, it didn’t garner sufficient votes to be passed.”
Filthy Turk has his snout in Tunesia, eh?
Isn’t he sticking his nose in everywhere in the Mideast?
He’s got his evil eye on the Balkans. Plus he’s alpha to all those Turko-German mongrels. Massive MB media presence.
UK counter-terror programme targeted BAME women using Instagram influencers
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-prevent-stoosh-bame-women-instagram-influencers
“More evidence is emerging of the British government developing motivational online media platforms targeted at young women as part of a covert counter-terrorism campaign.
Security officials have acknowledged that a Facebook page and Instagram account entitled Stoosh were created as part of the UK’s controversial Prevent counter-radicalisation programme.
The admission comes nine months after the same officials confirmed that a similar online platform entitled This Is Woke had been created as part of the programme.
Stoosh draws its name from a Jamaican patois term meaning superior, while This Is Woke draws upon the expression “stay woke”, a call – originally African-American – to remain aware of social and racial justice issues.
Stoosh Facebook’s page was created on 20 March 2017, according to Facebook transparency information. Neither the Facebook nor Instagram pages have been updated since 6 March 2018.
Stoosh describes itself on Facebook as a page that “aims to promote a safe online environment for young women to tell their stories, taking ownership of their own narrative”.
Both Stoosh and This is Woke described themselves on Facebook as having been produced by a “media/news company”.
In fact, they were created by a London-based communications company called Breakthrough Media, which was under contract to the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), a unit within the UK government’s Home Office.
‘Like a cult’
One person who worked on the Stoosh programme at Breakthrough described how a number of people with large social media followings were recruited as influencers, and paid to promote it by using hashtags or retweeting its content.
This person said that extensive research was carried out by examining the social media usage of potential influencers – some of them as young as 16 – before they were approached and asked to assist.
“They weren’t told what was going on, they weren’t told about the Home Office,” this person said.
“And we were warned by managers not to talk about Breakthrough outside the office, or put anything about it on our CVs.
“New arrivals to Breakthrough weren’t told what was going on. They were left to work it out.
“It felt like being in a cult. There was a lot of paranoia around the office. People used to walk to the other side of the Thames to have conversations about what they were doing at work.”
Breakthrough’s office in London at the time was located close to the river near Waterloo station, on the opposite bank to parliament and nearby government departments including the Home Office.
One influencer – a fashion and lifestyle blogger with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube – told Middle East Eye that she had been told that Stoosh was a women’s empowerment project when she was approached and asked to make a film for it.
“I wasn’t told anything about the government or the Home Office,” she said.
Breakthrough has since rebranded itself as Zinc Network, a change that began in Australia, after the company was caught persuading Muslims and a Christian clergyman to promote Australian government policies, without explicitly informing them that it was working for the government.
Other work that Zinc Network undertakes for the British government includes the monitoring of “fake news” emanating from Russia.
‘Code of ethics’
A spokesman for Zinc Network said the company helps its clients tackle some of the world’s toughest social issues.
“We have always taken seriously our responsibility to operate transparently and act with integrity,” he said. “In 2019 we reviewed all internal processes and have installed a code of ethics that respects the agency of everyone taking part in our projects including influencers.
“Supporting communities, brands and governments to promote positive social change is the driving force of our agency.”
The OSCT confirmed its role in the creation of Stoosh following a request made under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act by Faisal Qureshi, a British film scriptwriter and producer.
After Qureshi asked the Home Office for any information it held on Stoosh, the OSCT replied, confirming that it did hold material but was considering whether it should be withheld on national security grounds.
The unit then said it would cost too much to provide the information. Qureshi is now asking the UK’s Information Commissioner, which oversees compliance with the Act, to order disclosure of the material.
The OSCT also cited national security concerns when refusing to disclose information it held on its This Is Woke platform under the Freedom of Information Act.
The unit will not explain how it believes its bogus “media/news” platforms protects the UK’s national security.
However, a series of leaks from within the Home Office and its private sector contractors have shown that one purpose of the Prevent programme is to “effect attitudinal and behavioural change” among British Muslims, and to create what one document refers to as “a reconciled British Muslim identity”.
Much of the work is known to be co-ordinated by a secretive propaganda section within the OSCT called the Research, Information and Communications Unit, which has employed behavioural psychologists and anthropologists, as well as marketing and digital media specialists.
Before it was exposed as one of the OSCT’s covert counter-radicalisation initiatives, This Is Woke featured videos with titles such as “A trillion-ton iceberg has broken off Antarctica” and “Millions of pangolins are hunted each year” alongside others with titles such as “It’s time to hold extremism to account for terrorism, not Islam”.
The site also featured short panel discussions, with four young people sitting on a sofa debating subjects such as “What is fake news?” Interspersed among them videos with titles such as “What does wearing a hijab mean to you?”
Much of the Stoosh Instagram and Facebook material focuses on women who are described as “real women” and “empowered”.
Prominent among them is Angela Davis, the Marxist African American activist and academic, who is described on the Stoosh Facebook page as “influential”, “intelligent” and “incredible”. Another woman featured is veteran Egyptian feminist campaigner Nawal El-Sadawi who is described as a “protector”, “powerful” and “tenacious”.
Other unacknowledged OSCT projects have included a film about Muslim athletes, which was filmed in Afghanistan and Pakistan without the director being informed that he was working for the British government; programmes broadcast on local radio stations across Britain during Ramadan; and stalls set up during freshers’ fairs at universities.”
Turkey operating in 7 areas in East Med
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200609-turkey-operating-in-7-areas-in-east-med/
“In the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey determined to operate with seven licensed areas for natural sources exploration and drilling under the recent Libya pact, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez announced yesterday.
Speaking during a television interview, Donmez said that Turkey has completed six drilling studies in the Eastern Mediterranean so far, while the Yavuz drilling vessel is conducting a seventh in the Selçuklu-1 location to the west of Cyprus.
Donmez stated that Turkish drilling procedures fall under two categories: the licensed areas that are issued by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Turkey and the licensed areas that are issued by the Turkish Republic to Turkish Petroleum – Turkey’s national oil company.
“Turkish contractors are very familiar with the region and currently two big Turkish private firms are constructing two new big electricity production plants,” he said, adding that these projects could become operational in one or two months…”
US sanctions on Iran shipping network take effect
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200609-us-sanctions-on-iran-shipping-network-take-effect/
“US sanctions imposed on Iran’s shipping network took effect on Monday, months after they were announced in December following accusations of supporting proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, reported Reuters…”
At least 20 die as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200609-at-least-20-die-as-migrant-boat-sinks-off-tunisia/
“At least 20 African migrants died when a boat carrying more than 50 people sank off Tunisia, an official said on Tuesday, according to a report by Reuters.
The bodies were found off the coast of Sfax on Tuesday, the official said. A total of 53 people had set out on the boat at the weekend aiming to reach Italy.
Coast Guard units and the army were searching for the other missing people…”
Warm waters at last: Russia’s expanding military footprint in the Middle East
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/6/9/russias-expanding-military-footprint-in-the-middle-east
“Russia is increasing its presence in the wider Middle East and North Africa region through the deployment of its armed forces, the sale of arms and the establishment of new military bases.
In recent weeks, it began negotiating the establishment of new concessions from the Syrian regime on its indefinite military presence in that country and has also become more directly involved in the civil war tearing Libya apart.
Libya
In late May, Russian-built MiG-29 Fulcrum air superiority fighters entered the conflict in Libya. Russia has deployed at least 14 unmarked MiG-29s along with Su-24 Fencer bombers into eastern Libya, where it supports the Libyan National Army (LNA) faction commanded by warlord Khalifa Haftar against the UN-recognised and Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.
Russia previously sent Wagner Group paramilitary fighters to the Libyan conflict in support of Haftar and reportedly helped the Syrian regime move some of his paramilitaries to fight with the LNA.
The deployment of these aircraft followed a notable Turkish-backed GNA victory over the LNA, the capture of the western LNA-held al-Watiya airbase. The timing of the deployment suggests that Russia wants to send a message to Turkey to stop backing additional GNA offensives against the LNA, which called for a truce in late April after suffering significant battlefield setbacks.
Russia is increasing its presence in the Middle East through the deployment of its armed forces, the sale of arms and the establishment of new military bases
While Haftar is unlikely to launch another siege of Tripoli anytime soon, even with Russian air support, Moscow’s intervention could well stop Turkey in its tracks and ensure that Haftar doesn’t suffer any more significant defeats. Also, by bolstering Haftar, Moscow could secure a substantial military foothold in Libya with its vast Mediterranean coast of a kind it could only hitherto dream about.
“Backing the LNA and backing Field Marshal Haftar, it really isn’t about winning the war, it’s about developing strongholds,” said the deputy director of the US Africa Command’s Intelligence Directorate Brigadier General Gregory Hadfield.
“If Russia secures a permanent position in Libya and, worse, deploys long-range missile systems, it will be a game changer for Europe, NATO and many Western nations,” he went on to claim.
Long-range missiles could include the deployment of sophisticated S-300 or S-400 air defence systems. Russia deployed S-400s system in western Syria, creating a very formidable Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) zone over that key region and also provided S-300s to the Syrian military.
If it deploys such systems to Libya it could potentially establish a similar zone over swathes of the Mediterranean, which could have major strategic ramifications beyond Libyan shores.
Whatever is ultimately the case, Russia’s presence in eastern Libya is undoubtedly far more substantial than it was just a few weeks ago.
Syria
For generations, Russia lacked access to warm water ports and coveted areas like the East Mediterranean or the Gulf. In the late 1940s, Stalin sought to annex parts of Iran and Turkey into the Soviet Union, which is one reason both those countries became aligned with the West in the Cold War. Turkey became one of the first members of the NATO alliance and the Shah’s Iran became a close Western ally and arms importer.
Since its intervention in the civil war in 2015, Russia has deployed forces at air and naval bases in western Syria giving it a very valuable foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean
Since its decisive intervention in the Syrian civil war on the side of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad back in September 2015, Russia has deployed forces at air and naval bases in western Syria, giving it a very valuable foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Russia leased the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the naval base at Tartus for the next 49 years from Damascus, in a deal that can be extended even beyond 2060.
There are additional signs that Russia has no intention of vacating Syria anytime soon. In May, the Russian Interfax news agency reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin “signed a directive tasking the Defence Ministry, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, with holding negotiations with Syria on transferring more real estate and water territory to the Russian military’s possession.”
Moscow is also investing millions for the modernisation of the Tartus navy base. According to Yuri Shvitkin, the vice chair of the Russian state Duma defence committee, Russia also wants to separate Khmeimim from the adjacent civilian Bassel Al-Assad International Airport.
Aside from supporting Assad’s various campaigns with deadly air strikes – which have destroyed numerous hospitals and medical facilities in Aleppo and Idlib – Russian Military Police also routinely patrol parts of Idlib and Syria’s northeast with Turkey.
In the Kurdish-majority northeast, Russia is reportedly building a new base in the village of Qasr Deeb near the Turkish border. The Russians attained a significant foothold in northeast Syria last October after US forces withdrew from several areas along the Turkish border and may well increase its presence in that strategically important region, which borders both Turkey and Iraq, in the foreseeable future.
Moscow sold Egypt more weapon systems in the 2010s than in any period since Cairo established close defence ties with the US following the Camp David peace deal
“The Russians have been roaming almost freely in our region,” a senior official of the Kurdish-led SDF told Voice of America this month. “Their ultimate goal is to push the Americans out of northeast Syria.”
Also, after delivering MiG-29s and Su-24s to Libya through Iran and Syria, Russia reportedly supplied the Syrian Air Force with additional MiG-29s, according to the Syrian regime’s SANA mouthpiece. MiG-29s have long been the most advanced warplane in the Syrian Air Force’s largely antiquated arsenal. After years of war, many of them have been showing increasingly visible signs of deterioration.
Egypt
In addition to these significant military deployments, Russia has also made very significant and tangible progress in increasing its military cooperation with Egypt, securing the most significant military partnership that has existed between Moscow and Cairo since the 1960s and early 1970s.
Moscow sold Egypt more weapon systems in the 2010s than in any period since Egypt established close defence ties with the United States following the Camp David Israel-Egypt peace deal in 1979. Russian hardware bought by Egypt’s autocratic ruler Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to date include a fleet of MiG-29s, KA-52 attack helicopters and an advanced variant of the S-300 missile system.
Egypt also intends to buy 20 advanced Su-35 air superiority fighters for $20 billion. That deal even led the US to warn Cairo that it could become subject to CAATSA sanctions that aim to punish any country that buys Russian military hardware.
Egypt and Russia have also conducted joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean beginning in 2015. In 2018 and 2019 both countries also held joint air defence exercises. The first in Russia and the second in Egypt, underscoring the deepening defence ties between the two countries.
In late 2017, Moscow approved a draft agreement with Cairo that would authorise it to base warplanes in Egypt. The deal also permits Egypt to base its warplanes in Russian airbases. US-built Egyptian F-16s showing up in Russian bases would certainly be an unprecedented sight.
Russia has established a forceful presence in the Middle East, North Africa and the East Mediterranean in just under half a decade
Basing its warplanes on Egyptian soil could also prove advantageous for Russia’s increased role in Libya since the bulk of its supporting aircraft would likely be safer based in Egypt than in Libya.
While a lot of these projects remain goals for now, Russia has established a robust and forceful presence in the Middle East, North Africa and the East Mediterranean in just under half a decade.
With no indications that it intends to draw down anytime soon one can expect Russia to further consolidate its position in these important regions.
It will do so through interventions in local conflicts, the sale of arms to its clients and access to, and leasing of, an increasing number of military bases.”
Boko Haram kills 69, razes village in northern Nigeria: sources
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security/boko-haram-kills-69-razes-village-in-northern-nigeria-sources-idUSKBN23G38X
“Boko Haram gunman killed at least 69 people and razed a village to the ground in northern Nigeria’s Borno state on Tuesday afternoon, three sources told Reuters.
The men attacked the village of Faduma Koloram, in Gubio local government area of Borno state, starting about noon.
They arrived in vehicles and on motorcycles, shooting with AK-47s, razing the village and stealing 1,200 cattle and camels. A resident, a Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) member and a soldier each confirmed the same account.
They said the men attacked because they suspected residents of sharing information on Boko Haram’s movements with security authorities.
“It’s an unfortunate day for us to witness this,” said CJTF fighter Kachallah Bumu. While he said the residents were armed, and had repelled previous attacks, this one caught them off guard.
“They took us unaware and killed our people,” he said.
A military spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.”
George Floyd Resisting Arrest For 3 Minutes. Footage the MSM won’t show you.
Rev. Lawson says ‘we need to clean out the White House
Rev. William ‘Bill’ Lawson says ‘we need to clean out the White House’ at funeral service for George Floyd.
Daily Mail video
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-2188668/Rev-Lawson-says-need-clean-White-House.html
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Suspected murderer of Canadian reporter killed in K-P
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2239376/1-suspected-murderer-canadian-reporter-killed-k-p/
“The Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa police claimed on Tuesday to have killed a suspected Taliban leader allegedly involved in the kidnapping and murder of a Canadian journalist in 2008.
Ameen Shah, the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of Khadija Abdul Qahar, 55, who was known as Beverly Giesbrecht before she converted to Islam, was killed in a clash with police in K-P, a gateway to neighbouring Afghanistan.
K-P Police Chief Sanaullah Abbasi said in a statement that Shah was killed in an exchange of fire after he refused to surrender in Bannu district, which borders North Waziristan.
The slain militant, he said, had kidnapped “the converted Muslim journalist [Qahar] in 2008, and later killed her in 2010.”
Giesbrecht, the owner and publisher of a Canadian-based jihadunspun.com, was abducted along with her translator, and driver, in November 2008, when she was attempting to enter the restive North Waziristan tribal region, then headquarters of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Her translator and driver were released after eight months but her abductors demanded $2 million for Giesbrecht’s release.
Salman Khan, her translator, told local media after his release that Giesbrecht was suffering from hepatitis and was mentally prepared for death.
Conflicting reports about Giesbrecht fate has since surfaced, with one claiming she died of prolonged illness, presumably hepatitis while another asserting she was killed by her captors.”
Tucker: The rise of left-wing rage mobs in America
Something terrifying has descended on America.
Terrible ideas suddenly have free reign and no one pushed back
Turkey begins constructing modern warship for Pakistan
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2239168/1-turkey-begins-constructing-modern-warship-pakistan/
Afghanistan has released 3,000 out of 5,000 Taliban prisoners
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/afghanistan-has-released-3000-out-of-5000-taliban-prisoners/
“The government of Afghanistan has so far released 3,000 Taliban prisoners from different custodies across the country—a significant step to push the intra-Afghan talks to a practical level in earliest.
“The government has released 3,000 Taliban prisoners as part of its commitment to advancing peace efforts. Further releases will continue in tandem with reduction in violence and progress toward direct negotiations with the government,” National Security Council Spokesman, Javid Faisal said on Tuesday.
These intimates were released from Parwan, Pul-e-Charkhi and other jails for the sake of peace process.
Briefing newsmen, Faisal said 1,000 Taliban prisoners were released before Eid and 2,000 others after, in which totally 3,000 were set free.
The process will continue for peace trust-building, he said. “It will keep going based on the demand of the Afghan masses for a durable peace in the country.”
He called on the Taliban to release not only members of the Afghan security forces, but also innocent individuals as part of trust-building.
So far 277 members of security forces were released by the Taliban.
Afghan peace force is ready to carry talks with the Taliban. “Taliban has to show readiness as well.”
The recent ceasefire declared by the Afghan government and the Taliban during Eid days had opened a window of hope for the war-hit Afghans, an unprecedented opportunity to end hostiles to restore peace in the country.”
Barr suggests FBI ignored ‘exculpatory evidence’ in Russia probe
Racism more dangerous than pandemic: Top Turkish judge
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/racism-more-dangerous-than-pandemic-top-turkish-judge-155497
“Racism and discrimination are notions a lot more dangerous for humankind’s future than the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey’s top judge has said, as many parts of the world, especially the U.S., are being swept by anti-racism protests over the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd.
“Racism and xenophobia are much more dangerous for humankind’s future than the current [novel coronavirus] pandemic. A universal society cannot be established with an approach that does not give people the right to live based on their [skin] color or faith,” Zühtü Arslan, the head of Turkey’s Constitutional Court, said on June 9 at the swearing-in ceremony of Basri Ba?c?, who has been elected as the new member of the top court in the capital Ankara.
The Constitutional Court’s main duty is to protect rights and freedoms, Arslan underlined.
“We need to think that people who are not like us, or do not think like us, have rights too,” he said.
“Justice is blind. It carries out fair judgement without looking at who the litigants. The neutrality of judiciary first necessitates its independence,” he said. He also added that the independence of judiciary has been underlined in the Constitution “very clearly.”
Justice is a very fundamental element of civilizations, according to Arslan. “With this, public order is ensured.”
“A law order that provides justice is a blessing for both the society and the state,” he said.
“A nation without law is a state without breath,” he added.
Underlining the rulings made by the Constitutional Court, Arslan said that 50 percent of the cases concerns fair judgement.
The top judge also said that Turkey ranks among the top when it comes to individual applications.
In 2019, about 43,000 applications have been made and nearly 40,000 of them have been concluded.”
Turkey brings back over 300 citizens from Canada
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-brings-back-over-300-citizens-from-canada/1870864
“Turkey on Tuesday brought back 301 citizens stranded in Canada due to the coronavirus lockdown as part of the country’s ongoing evacuation efforts.
A Turkish Airlines flight conducted the fourth repatriation flight from Canada.
The plane from Toronto Pearson International Airport safely landed at Istanbul Airport at 12.25 p.m. local time (0925GMT).
The citizens were carried to the terminal by buses, and their temperatures were taken there.
Observing the social distancing rules, the passengers filled special information forms, and after passing passport controls, they received their luggage and left the airport.
The Turkish nationals extended their gratitude to the Foreign Ministry and Consulate General in Canada for their support in evacuation.
National flag carrier Turkish Airlines carried out the first evacuation flight from Canada on April 8, and the second flight on April 22, bringing back 484 Turkish citizens.
On June 4, it carried out the third flight to Canada, and evacuated Turkish citizens, including 349 adults and 15 infants.
Over 7.14 million cases have been reported in 188 countries and regions since the virus emerged in China last December.
The US, Brazil, Russia, and the UK are currently the hardest-hit countries in the world.
The pandemic has claimed over 407,000 lives worldwide, while recoveries are now over 3.31 million, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.”
Gunmen shoot 6 dead at hostel in South Africa
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/gunmen-shoot-6-dead-at-hostel-in-south-africa/1870925
“At least six people died after gunmen opened fire at a hostel on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South African police said Tuesday.
Captain Kay Makubela said the attack happened at 11 p.m. local time (2100GMT) on Monday night.
He said preliminary investigations found that the victims were in a shack at the Jabulani Hostel when three men armed with handguns and rifles started shooting at the shack from outside.
Five people died at the scene and one in the hospital, while a seventh victim is being treated at a hospital.
“The motive of the killing is unknown at this stage,” Makubela said in a statement.
Addressing reporters at the scene on Tuesday afternoon, Police Minister Bheki Cele said crimes had started rising again in the country since the ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted on June 1.
Cele said June 1, which is normally not a high crime season, saw an increase in crimes with 40 people being murdered nationally.
“The next day there were 51 deaths recorded and on Sunday there were 69,” he said, adding that cases were much lower before the alcohol ban was lifted.
South Africa, which has over 50,000 cases of confirmed COVID-19 infections and 1,000 recorded deaths, had imposed a ban on sale of alcohol for two months to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Two days after sales were allowed again, robbers bombed an armored car in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash.
Gunmen also shot dead a police officer this week in Nyanga on the outskirts of Cape Town while on patrol.”
Switzerland to impose tougher penalties for violent protesters
https://www.thelocal.ch/20200609/switzerland-imposes-tougher-penalties-for-violent-protesters
“Switzerland on Tuesday toughened the penalties for rioters and violent protesters, including increasing minimum jail time and toughening penalties for first-time offenders.
The Swiss Council of States on Tuesday passed a proposal which would tighten penalties for certain public order offences.
The changes have been made to reflect a ‘change in social values’, with the new framework targeting rioters who attack police, fire brigades and ambulances during protests.
Authorities have called for a four-fold increase in fines for violence and threats against authorities.
‘We will watch their backs’
Stefan Engler, of the conservative Swiss People’s Party, said the changes were necessary to show police and other authorities that they have government support.
“Those who take the rap for our security can expect that in return we will watch their backs,” Engler said.
Engler said attacks on police had been increasing and there was a need to respond to the criticism of police unions that perpetrators need to be threatened with more severe punishments.
Minister of Justice Karin Keller-Sutter opposed the changes, saying that the current punishments were sufficient “as long as you actually apply them”.
The penalty for grievous bodily harm will be extended from six months to a year in order to punish public attacks which impaired the population’s sense of security.
Harassment over the telephone will now attract a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail.
Offences against commercial property will be given a minimum of six months.
The current preference for custodial sentences to be given to first-time offenders will be changed, with the new law to frame it as a possibility rather than a rule.
This was a controversial change. While it was supported by the SVP, members of the Greens said that it was likely to lead to repeat offenders.”
“Harvard Professor Indicted For Lying To Feds About Ties To Wuhan University in China” Breaking 911 – June 9, 2020
https://breaking911.com/breaking-harvard-professor-indicted-for-lying-to-feds-about-ties-to-wuhan-university-in-china/
Those are minimal charges.
Use a piece of his hide to wipe the wall in Memorial Church where the names of Harvard alumni from the Civil War on are inscribed.
“Man Who Warned Beachgoers About Social Distancing Spotted At Crowded Protest” by Shiva – June 9, 2020
https://tammybruce.com/2020/06/man-who-warned-beachgoers-about-social-distancing-spotted-at-crowded-protest.html
“NYPD Boss Unleashes Fiery Rant — Stop treating us like animals!”
by Kane – June 9, 2020
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/nypd-boss-unleashes-fiery-rant-stop-treating-us-like-animals/
“Police union president gives heated speech on the growing ‘anti-cop’ climate” Fox News – Premiered 3 hours ago
New York State PBA President Michael O’Meara breaks down the passionate speech he gave to the press amid growing unrest.
He’s our champ!